Abstract | BACKGROUND: METHODS: We performed a multicenter controlled study evaluating simultaneously serum activin A and follistatin concentrations in women with and without endometriosis. Women with endometriosis (n = 139) were subdivided into three groups: peritoneal endometriosis (n = 28); ovarian endometrioma (n = 61) and deep infiltrating endometriosis (n = 50). The control group (n = 75) consisted of healthy women with regular menstrual cycles. Blood samples were collected from a peripheral vein and assayed for activin A and follistatin using commercially available enzyme immunoassay kits. RESULTS: The ovarian endometrioma group had serum activin A levels significantly higher than healthy controls (0.22 ± 0.01 ng/ml versus 0.17 ± 0.01 ng/ml, P < 0.01). None of the endometriosis groups had serum follistatin levels which were significantly altered compared with healthy controls; however, levels found in the endometrioma group (2.34 ± 0.32 ng/ml) were higher than that in the deep endometriosis group (1.50 ± 0.17 ng/ml, P < 0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of activin A was 0.700 (95% confidence interval: 0.605-0.794), while that of follistatin was 0.620 (95% confidence interval: 0.510-0.730) for the diagnosis of ovarian endometrioma. The combination of both markers into a duo marker index did not improve significantly their diagnostic accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated that serum activin A and follistatin are not significantly altered in peritoneal or deep infiltrating endometriosis and have limited diagnostic accuracy in the diagnosis of ovarian endometrioma.
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Authors | Fernando M Reis, Stefano Luisi, Maurício S Abrão, Ana Luiza L Rocha, Paola Viganò, Carolina P Rezende, Pasquale Florio, Felice Petraglia |
Journal | Human reproduction (Oxford, England)
(Hum Reprod)
Vol. 27
Issue 5
Pg. 1445-50
(May 2012)
ISSN: 1460-2350 [Electronic] England |
PMID | 22416010
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
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Chemical References |
- Biomarkers
- Follistatin
- activin A
- Activins
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Topics |
- Activins
(blood)
- Adult
- Biomarkers
(blood)
- Case-Control Studies
- Endometriosis
(blood, pathology)
- Female
- Follistatin
(blood)
- Humans
- Ovarian Diseases
(blood, pathology)
- Peritoneal Diseases
(blood, pathology)
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